Foxconn chief admits it can't meet iPhone production demands

If you want an iPhone 5, you'll have to wait

If you're wondering why the iPhone 5 won't be dispatched for three to four weeks, here's your reason. Manufacturer Foxconn can't make them fast enough, according to its chairman Terry Gou.

"It's not easy to make the iPhones," Gou told reporters. "We are falling short of meeting the huge demand."

He didn't specify which model is proving particularly tricky, but it's thought he was referring to the latest incarnation.

Last month, an unidentified Foxconn worker said that making the iPhone 5 was "very complicated", hence the supply issues. They described the handset as "the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled."

Tricky design

The iPhone 5 is taller and slimmer than the iPhone 4S, with a larger 4-inch screen. It also has a smaller dock connector.

"It takes time to learn how to make this new device," the unnamed worker told the Wall Street Journal. "Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day."

Between 3,000 and 4,000 Foxconn workers were also reported to have gone on strike last month, though the company denied it. The workers said unfair demands were being placed on them. The company also allegedly provided inadequate training for those putting together the new device.

It was also claimed workers were made to work over a national holiday, though Foxconn said any who did were paid extra, in line with national labour laws.

The iPhone 4S and 4 are in stock at Apple's online store, so should be dispatched as soon as you order.